Converter



March 4,1958 w. L. KERLIE 2,825,551

CONVERTER Filed June 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I w I 1 I II II/VVE/VZ'OR. v WALTER L. KERL/E,

his Aflarpg.

W. L. KERLIE March 4, 1958 CONVERTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 File d June 28,1956 his Af/orney.\

more efficient refining operation.

United CONVERTER Walter L. Kerlie, Monroeville, Pa., assignor to UnitedStates Steel Corporation, a corporation of New .iersey Application June28, 1956, Serial No. 594,585

2 Claims. (Cl. 266-35) tion'Serial No. 588,762 filed'June 1, 1956.

The process of my said copending application provides improvementsoverthe surface blowing process disclosed in United States Patent No.2,733,141 to Clarence E.

'Sims which are directed to the end among others of obtaining improvedcirculation of the slag and metal at the surface of the bath and therebya reduction of wear or erosion of the refractory converter lining aswell as a The process disclosed in the Sims patent requires an air blastwhich is directed against the surface of the bath at a velocity andangle of incidence such that a surging non-circulating wall of foamingslag may be formed in front of the tuyeres and against the side of thevessel opposite the tuyeres. This non-circulating wall of foaming slaghas been known to obstruct the blast from the tuyeres and to cause athrowback of slag and metal, which erodes the refractory liningparticularly in the area about the tuyeres. The formation of thissurging wall of foaming slag is prevented and an improved continuouscirculation of slag and metal at the surface of the bath is obtained,according to the disclosure of my copending application, by confiningthe blast to-an area centrally of the ends of the bath and in suchmanner that the slag and metal which is moved across the surface of thebath by the blast will circulate from the area in front of the tuyeresthrough the areas at the ends of the bath and thus be continuouslycirculated or returned to a position for further movement by the. blastover the surface of the bath. This circulation of the slag and metal atthe surfaceof the bath is assisted by conducting the blowing operationin a barrelshaped converter which is supported in a horizontal positionso that its sides provide a cover for the bath and which has its mouthopening outwardly from an end thereof and spaced from the area over thebath.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide anapparatus which is particularly adapted for practicing the processes ofthe above mentioned Sims patent and copending application and which willfurther improve the circulation of slag and metal at the surface of thebath.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus forconvertingiron to steel' by 'surface blowing which is particularly adapted to anoperation using oxy gen or oxygen-enriched air as an oxidizing blast.

A further object of the invention is to provide a surface blown'converterin which an oxidizing blastisapplied to the surface of thebath through a plurality of water-cooled tuyeres which are arranged in ahorizontal row and respectively project through a side of the converterat an angle such that each tuyere axis forms an acute angle with thesurface of the bath and intersects 5118b Surface at a point spaced fromthe said side of the Patented Mar. 4, 1958 new did

converter. Incidental to this object, another object of the invention isto provide a space in back of the points of impingement of the tuyereblasts with the bath surface into which slag and metal may circulatefrom both ends of the bath as a part of a continuous recirculatingmovement.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription.

In the drawings there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention.'In this showing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the converter of this invention; 7 r

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of theline II-II of Figure 1;

Figures '3 and 4 respectively are sectional views taken substantially inthe planes of the lines III-III of Figure 2 and l'V-IV of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken axially of one of thewater-cooled tuyeres shown in Figures 2 through 4.

The converter of this invention comprises a vessel 1 which is shown inthe drawings as having a cylindrical or barrel shape. It has a metalshell 2 with a refractory lining 3 in the manner of conventionallyfabricated conveters and is mounted for rotation with its axis in ahorizontal position. Its mounting includes a pair of aixally spacedrocker rails or wheels 4 which are secured to the shell 2 concentricallywith respect to the axis of the vessel 1 and have rolling engagement onsupporting rollers 5. A sprocket or gear drive (not shown) is providedfor tilting the vessel 1 to and fromits upright blowing position asshown in the drawings.

The inner end of the vessel 1 is closed by a manhole cover whichincludes a mounting plate 6 and a preformed and tapered dolomite block 7which are detachably secured to the shell 2. The provision of aremovable manhole in this manner enablesreplacement of the refractorylining 3 according to the practice used in relining standard basicBessemer converters. For relining in this manner, the plate 6 is removedand the vessel 1 is placed in an upright position after removal from itssupporting rollers 5. After the lining 3 has been replaced, the taperedblock 7 is rammed into positionand the plate 6 is detachably fastened tothe shell 2.

A wind-box or manifold 10, shown somewhat diagrammatically in Figures 1through 4 of the drawings, extends between the rocker wheels 4 and issupplied with oxygen, air, or oxygen-enriched air from a coupling 11which is connected to the manifold 10 by a conduit 12. The coupling 11is removably secured to the shell 2 about the plate Gand is connected toan air supply'conduit 13 which is rotatably supported in suitablebearings (not shown).

At itsouter end the converter has a nose section 15 which is shaped toprovide a mouth 16 in a skewed and eccentric position with respect tothe axis of the converter as best shown in Figure 3. When the vessel isin its operative blowing position as shown in the drawings, its mouth 16is arranged at one side of thearea directly over the bath and facesoutwardly in an endwise direction from the vessel. The mouth 16 has itslower edge 17 located well above the surface 18 of the converter bathand its upper edge 19 is flush with the .top of the lining whichprovides a. cover over the bath. From the lower edge17, the lining.sur'face slopes downwardly at an angle of approximately 45 as shown inFigure '3. The shape of the nose 15 and the skewed location of the mouth16 are effective in preventing ejection of metal and slag from thevessel by splashing. To tap slag or metal it is only necessary to rotatethe vessel in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2 tolower the mouth 16 to vessel into which slag and ner to be'described. n

7 As explained in my above mentioned 'copending application, the-tuyeres20 have -a minimum spacing rela-- .tive to each other which isdetermined by;the tuyere'dieliminated.

andareshown somewhat diagrammatically in Figures 2 through 4. Thetuyeres'20 are arranged in a horizontal row in positions parallelltoeach other and with their axes 7 extending transversely oftheaxisof thevessel land in-.- tersecting with the surface 18 of the converter bathatan acute' angle." The inner ends 22 of the tuyeresr20' are spaced fromthe converter' side 2 3 through which the intersectwith the surface 18at points which are arranged ,along-the broken line designatedb ythe'numeral24 in Figure 41 ofthedrawings The angular inclination of theV tuyeres'20 thus provides space 25along the'side 23of the metalmay'circulate in a mandiameter in inches, and Vis the wind velocity infeetper second. In addition, the end tuyeres 20 have a spacing from theend of the vessel suchithatthe end portions 26'of thebath 18'respectively have an axial'length outwardly of the end tuyeres 20 ofabout 7 27+ginohes' V V The spacing of the end tuyeresltl in thismannerproyides V for return circulation of.-slag and metalover thesurface of the bath and a more effective slag circulation and mixing ofthe metal and slag forming constituentsl I By reason of the vesselside-23 being flattened as shown in Figure 2, and the'barrel shape ofthe vessel 1 as shown .in Figures ,2 and 3; the periphery of the' bathin the vessel will have a D-shap'ed-contour as designated bythe broken a'line 27in Figure4 with its fiat side located along the ves- V sel side23. Theblast fromthe tuyeres 20 is etfectiveto move thslag and'metal ,atthesurface of the bath trans;

V verselyiof the vessel axis over the space 28 between the endvzones'26. By reason of the curvature of thevelssel side ioppositel the tuyeres20. and the fact that the'end V zones. 26 of the lbath'are not subjecteddirectly to blast from thentuyeres, slag and metal at the surface or thebath will circulate in opposite directifonsfromthe center space 28 intoboth of the end zones 26., *By reason'of the angularposition ,ofthetuyeres'20 above the surface ofthe bath andthe fact that the axes ofthe blasts :therefrom impinge with the bath surfacealongthe line 24, theslag tuyere V a position below the level ofa bath in the converter. TheV 'mouth 16 preferably hasa large diameterproviding for 1 visualinspection of, the -lining and such fettling repairs thereto asmaybeneeded. The provision of: a wide mouth;16-i n-a relatively: shortnose'sectio'nl5 results in a rrelativelylo w velocity of the spirallymoving waste gas emerging from thejvessel "In this manner, deposition ofslag and metal in the upper portionof the; nose. is 'kept', at a-minimum and-skulling of the mouth. 16'. is i,

1 1O I he manifold :10 extendshorizontally between the rocker rails 4and has. connections of a character to be, described with a plurality ofwater-cooled, tuyeres which are respectively designated as afwhole'bythe numeral 'fromthescope of the following claims.

V vessel side and said points;

and metal moving into the freely into the space between thelinefgtandvessel. side 23. The slag and metal moving intothespace 25 in thismannermoves into the path of the blast from, the V tuyeres 20'so that itcirculates continuously fever thefs ir face of the bath.

As best shown in Figure 5, each of the tuyeres 20 rcVorn- V prises ahollow pipe having its" inner end connected with the manifold 10. Atubular. jacket lal aboutthe-pipe 3 0 and a tubular partition '32 forman enclosureabout the pipe 30.. A water.supplyconduitfl33 delivers Tcooling 1 Q Water to the interior of the.partition 3zfiavhereiteisz'constrained to flow downwardly overthe'surfacepf the pipe V 30. r The lowerend. of the partition '32isfspac'ed 'from the end 3401: the-jacketf'orthe pipe '30 so that the cooling water is .circulatedupwardly throughthe space 35'to' the upper end of the jacket 31. The upperend. of thejacket '31 is connected with an exhaust conduit 36'forthe 1 coolingwater.

g Each of thetuyeresitl eirtends :an opening .31

which extends through the shell 2 and a prefo'rmedre fractory block 38which is rammed in an: opening "in the lining 3. Flanges 39 and, 40respectively on the tuyeres, j 20'and amounting 'memberAl welded to theshell12 are connected together to secure the tuyeres '20 in position.

' V While one embodimentofflmyjinvention has been shownanddescribed'it.will-be.apparent'that-other adap- 1 Y tatio'ns andmodifications may be made 'without departing I. claim: 1

vessel side to provide for circulation of 'slag and metal from both ofsaidbath endsinto thespacebetweenjsaid 2.'A converter: as d fined endiones 2 61 may 1.1A surface blown converter comprisinga-refi'actoryj'linedivesseLfo'r containing. abath, of slag; and metal,-

means mountingsaid-.vsselina horizontalposition for rotational movementabout its longitudinal;a7ris,.said%vesa V sel providingja'coveriover thebath in its bottom portion and having a mouth openingoutwardly. from oneend 5 thereof in an eccentric; position relative toisaidiaxis', :a. fwind box.extending horiz ontally along -one sider of said 1 vessehiahorizontal: row ofjwater-cooled'tuyieres, respec- I .tively extendingthrough saidvessel side and having their-- outer ends connectedjwithjsaid:wind box andftheir'linner i endsf positioned over the; bath in saidvessel and-spaced." V from said vessel side, the-tuyeres at' oppositeends of said .row being'spaced inwardly of the ends of,saidbath ,-,e'achof said tuyeres extending-transversely of. said bath and having adownward angular inclination {relative to; the: g surface thereofwhereby its axis intersects with said bath'i surface at an acute angleand 'at a pointgspaced fromsaid in' claim lcharad triz'egi 1 said vesselhaving a-barrel -shape and being'fflattened along said oneside such thatits said-lower bath eontai ing portion has 'a D-shaped contour in ahori'nontalplane- I and a bath contained therein has 'a similariyishaiped con-1

